Our Perspective: Asian American Play Readings

May 21, 2018

About this Show

Asian Improv aRts Midwest (AIRMW) and Guest Curator Mia Park are proud to present “Our Perspective: Asian American Play Readings,” Chicago’s first-ever staged reading series of short and full-length plays written by Midwest Asian Americans. This evening features a reading of both a short and a full-length play.

This event is FREE, but please reserve your tickets as space is limited and it may fill up. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before the start time to claim your seat, as reserved seats will be given to standby patrons in the case of no shows.

This solo show tackles issues about gender, culture and feminism. It asks the question of how one learns about womanhood, love and abuse in different cultural contexts. This is a story about domestic violence and its effect on mother-daughter relationships through the lens of a child as well as an adult.

Play Reading"The Fixer"by Susan H. Pak, directed by Helen Young

A bitter, despondent, Asian American expat is thrilled when her best friend, a beautiful and brilliant attorney, joins her in the sparkling city of Dubai. The two enjoy a luxurious and decadent existence at their dream jobs, until one of them is unceremoniously fired. Can the two keep their friendship intact, as they attempt to navigate the shark infested waters of overseas office politics? "The Fixer" hilariously examines the ways in which lifelong best friends confront issues of allyship, intersectional feminism, and American exceptionalism, as they attempt to protect themselves and each other from an increasingly hostile and intolerant world.

CAST AND ARTISTS

CURATOR’S STATEMENT

Time Magazine’s recent article on the lack of Asian American representation on television confirms what we already know: the Asian Pacific American (APA) population is seriously under-represented.* The same can be said for APA under representation in the oldest form of public story sharing, the theatrical stage. NBC News reported on Asian Americans in theatre speaking out against the white washing of Asian roles in entertainment and the challenges the APA community faces in the acting industry.

Chicago’s theatre community is a microcosm of global theatre’s lack of APA opportunities. As a Chicago based Korean American actress and playwright for almost twenty years, I’ve experienced directly how, locally, our voices are often unheard in plays and on-screen. Since 2016, I’ve advocated for the training of local Asian American actors by hosting educational workshops in order to provide a qualified talent pool for casting directors to choose from, so the excuse of Chicago not having talented APA actors can no longer apply.

I recognize that an important way to continue advocating for the APA voice is to provide inspiration, space, and an audience for local Asian American playwrights, directors, and actors in the series, “Our Perspective: Asian American Play Readings.”

Seeing 'sold out'? Seats may open up the day of a performance due to no-shows or last-minute returns. If you would like to try attending using standby tickets we recommend arriving at 1700 N. Halsted one hour before the show.

Our standby protocol is as follows: one hour before the show we release a limited number of standby tickets for sale on a first-come-first served basis. At show time we get as many standby audience members in as we can accomodate. If you are not seated by curtain, we will refund your money. In the case of free shows, the list will work in the same manner, without payment involved.

Running Time

2 hours, presented with one intermission

Content Advisory

Steppenwolf recommends this show for those high school age and older. If you have any questions about content, age-appropriateness or stage effects (such as strobe lights or theatrical fog) that might have a bearing on patron comfort, please contact the box office at 312-335-1650.

Running Time

2 hours, presented with one intermission

Content Advisory

Steppenwolf recommends this show for those high school age and older. If you have any questions about content, age-appropriateness or stage effects (such as strobe lights or theatrical fog) that might have a bearing on patron comfort, please contact the box office at 312-335-1650.